My Thoughts

The Summer Olympics start today in China with a lot of pomp and circumstance in the form of the opening ceremonies. As far as Olympics go, the old guy finds the summer version more entertaining than its winter brother. He likes the sports featured in these games, particularly gymnastics, baseball, track and field and swimming, but this year's event has a bad cloud (smog) hanging over it. The old guy remembers a few years ago hearing that China had been awarded the games by the international committee that makes those kinds of decisions. It seems like an unusual fit, considering it's a communist country, with a history of human and animal rights violations, that goes to whatever means necessary to censor everything from its people. It's a well known fact leaders use whatever cruel measures at their disposal to keep its people isolated and impoverished and with no more than one child.

Insider was listening to National Public Radio the other day and heard a report on how China was prepping for the games. These stories have been going on for months, and the old guy typically tones them out, but now that it's the week of the start, he took a few moments to listen. Apparently, contractors there have been scrambling for years to get ready for the events, building arena after arena and field after field, along with the large Olympic village. To make way for the necessary amenities to host the games, millions of Chinese people were thrown out of their homes. They were displaced and given no resources to find a new place to live. Consequently, millions more are now homeless in a country already rife with poverty among its citizens, while communist leaders call palaces home.

The reporter went on to say those that were not displaced because of the Olympics are living in dire conditions. In an effort to hide the country's plight, contractors built a 10-foot wall around miles of poor areas. Furthermore, the reporter later indicated the Chinese government has ordered all restaurants to take dog and cat off their menus during the Olympics. Apparently, it's acceptable to eat them over there in the land of the smog.

Of all the places in the world deserving of the exposure and pride associated with hosting the Olympics, it's difficult to understand why the decision makers opted for China. Perhaps North Korea was busy at the time. Insider can only hope they are a lot smarter than he is.